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Showing posts with label hawaiian food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hawaiian food. Show all posts
Thursday, April 7, 2016
The Original Hawaiian BBQ: Tagaytay's Ribs and More

 The ORIGINAL HAWAIIAN BBQ in Tagaytay has been known as the go to place for RIBS and other delicious dishes. Opened as the in house restaurant of THE BOUTIQUE BED AND BREAKFAST (click here to see my experience), this restaurant opens up its menu to foodies all around. It makes use of the cool weather in Tagaytay to keep its patrons close to nature.

To start everything off, the ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD (320Php) is a good bet. It gives you a refreshing and healthy take before you go for the delicious heavy dishes.  
A bit funny, the ONION TOWER (200Php) makes use of huge onions to make those crispy rings. Served with three types of sauces like the Garlic Mayo, BBQ and even gravy.
 Hitting the ground running, The BUTTERED CORN with BONE MARROW were put on the table. A bit risky but the corn was creamy and buttery. Definitely deadly but very good.
To help scoop the buttery juices, QUESADILLAS were offered.
 Even until now, I still crave for the CRISPY SPAM MUSUBI (275Php). Deep fried spam with rice, this bite sized critters are so good. The sweet and tangy sauce gave it a different taste. I love this.

 If you are into potatoes, the ULTIMATE BAKED POTATO (150Php) is a must get. Creamy potatoes alongside crunchy bacon. You won't go wrong with this.

 It may come as a surprise but the ORIGINAL HAWAIIAN BBQ offers delicious seafood dishes. One of them is this MUSSEL SCAMPI (290Php). Cooked in a bamboo, the mussels are a little spicy but they were delicious and flavorful.

 If one can't decide, the FISHERMAN'S CATCH (530Php) might be the dish to get. It has different types of seafood perfect for the choosy foodie.

 One seafood dish that would make me drive all the way to Tagaytay would be the SEAFOOD TACOS. Deep fried mussels, oysters and squid are placed in a wrap and accompanied by sauces to give you flavor profiles.

 These are but the appetizers. When they say main course, be careful because they are good for 3-4 persons. I kid you not. The perfect example would be the BBQ PLATTER (850Php). Shrimps, chicken, pork, fish, mussels, and squid.
 As the name of the restaurant suggest, they have RIBS to die for!
 The Original Version is a bit tangy and sweet. Perfect for someone starting to discover ribs. If you are into something sweeter, the WAIKIKI'S ROOT BEER SESAME RIBS might be fore you. The flavor of the root beer is present with each bite.
 Spicy rib lovers would go for the SAM CHOY'S HOT and SPICY RIBS. A little of hickory taste is there but be warned this is not for the faint of heart. The meat is well marinated and the spice level might be a little too hot for you.
 No one can eat of these dishes without rice. At The ORIGINAL HAWAIIAN BBQ, they made it a point to give into that vibe. The best rice ever would have to be the SPAM RICE. This baby right here could be your morning lunch or even dinner.
If in case you're not in the mood for anything fancy, the PINEAPPLE CHICKEN RICE might be the dish for you. It is a meal in itself. The chicken tasted sweet because of the pineapple marinate and it does go well with the rice.
 DESSERT is one of the strong suits of this restaurant.
From an assortment of ice cream inspired dishes to a camp fire smores, you could not go wrong with any pick.

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The ORIGINAL HAWAIIAN BBQ is not just any restaurant. It serves delicious dishes priced perfectly for the foodie and is without fail. I would have to go back for the fish tacos and even maybe that platter and the spam rice. Definitely worth a visit.

Related Links:
The BOUTIQUE BED AND BREAKFAST in Tagaytay


Located in:
THE BOUTIQUE BED AND BREAKFAST
Aguinaldo Hi-Way, Silang Crossing East,
Tagaytay
(046)413-1885 / (046)413-1798
It is right in front of the new Ayala Mall in Tagaytay.

***Also Has branches in Quezon City, Boracay and Baguio.
Disclaimer:Wrote this based on my experience. Was invited to try out the dishes.
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Monday, September 28, 2015
JOHNNY KAHUKU Hawaiian Shrimp House: Island Flavors at Resorts World Manila

Did the head get your attention? It certainly got mine. I didn't know what to expect of Johnny Kahuku in Resorts World Manila. It seemed like a new concept. Rarely do I see Hawaiian food here in the metro. I'm sure it would intrigue a lot of foodies. 

I was thinking that JOHNNY KAHUKU is something sort of a expansion from a foreign brand. I learned that it is actually home grown. Everything was definitely different though and I love it. 
Once I got myself inside, I was intrigued by the dim lights and amazing wall design they had installed. It feels like a shack house on a beach. Fresh seafoods all for the taking. What used to be The Red Crab, Johnny Kahuku now stands for Island Flavors that definitely would titillate your senses. 
Chef Peter Ayson leads the way as he created dishes for foodies of the metro. He made sure to make our tummies enjoy. 
You are welcomed with open arms and greeted with the words, Aloha. Something that I believe translates to Hello.  Everything that you could think off, I guess they anticipated it. From offering delicious cocktails to even having "lei" or those things that you put on your neck just to welcome you as you enter.  
Most of my friends went for the PINA COLADA just to get that island vibe going. You can see Bea, holding one perfectly. They definitely get points for creativity that they actually use a whole fresh pineapple to hold the drink in.

I, on the other hand, went for something more familiar. An AMARETTO SOUR. It might be a ladies' drink to some but, I must say, their version packs a punch. Not too much so but definitely one I would go back for again.  
Since the main theme of the restaurant is ISLAND FLAVORS, JOHNNY KAHUKU has a lot of seafood dishes to offer. 

To start off, you could try the SPECIAL SEAFOOD POKE. Poke is the term used for fish salad. Here they have mixed seared blackened tuna, salmon sashimi, grilled squid, white shrimps, and miso shoyu dressing.
I enjoyed the mix of the different flavors of seafood. Since I am a bit into Japanese food, I must confess that I am partial to this. The addition of the nuts gave it a more crunchy texture breaking the monotonous feel of the different seafood. That, and the dressing just made it perfect. 

For calamares lovers, they increased the bar by offering the ASIAN CRISPY SALAD. Fried baby squid with caramelized tamarind glaze mixed in with crunchy dilis and peanut adobo. 
Please don't judge me. I pretty much enjoyed this dish that I got a lot. The crispiness and the sweet flavor coming from the tamarind glaze just made my day. It all makes sense. 

Another seafood starter would be the ISLAND KILAWIN. Their version of kilawin. It has cured tanigue, ahi tuna, coconut lime dressing along with roasted corn, peppers cucumber, jicama and cilantro. One bite in and it was smooth. I enjoyed the clean and smooth taste that the small seafood cubes give me. Don't worry, it isn't too hot and spicy. 

For salad lovers, they might be willing to try out the TROPICAL TUNA SALAD. I enjoyed the seared ahi tuna so much that I forgot about the greens underneath. Having a sesame miso dressing, made the greens and the fruits go well together. Needless to say, I skipped most of it. 

JOHNNY KAHUKU is not only Hawaiian in nature, but they also serve dishes that is somewhat island in nature. Like this, BEEF KALBI RIBS. US ANGUS BEEF short ribs with kalbi sauce.  The meat was tender and definitely perfect with rice.

Speaking of rice, this is the entire she-bang. The CLASSIC KAHUKU SHRIMP TRUCK. Garlic butter shrimps, Hawaiian rice, macaroni salad, and tuna ahi poke on the side. This is the perfect combination that's good for 2-3 people. I just got to be honest though, I can eat the whole thing. The shrimps were perfectly cooked. Along with the corn and the macaroni, it definitely is a full meal in itself. If I weren't with anyone, I can picture myself eating this with my barehands. Screw it! I did!!!

For something that could give your head the woozy is the CRAB PALABOK.

Fried Crab, shrimp palabok sauce, garlic, rice noodles, boiled eggs, chicharon and smoked fish.
This beauty is perfect for the crab lover. It's two dish in one. Palabok or rice noodles absorbed the fatty crab sauce and made it extremely flavorful. This is one deadly dish that you must share. It's a love hate relationship built on food.

One thing that you must not miss is the COCHINILLO. It is a four week old suckling pig basted in coconut. Different spices used to make it flavorful. Slow cooked in a brick oven that cooked it properly. 
With each knife stroke, I could hear the crackling skin. Crunchy outside while the inside is moist and tender. A four week old pig is used because according to the Chef, it gives a different texture and flavor compared to older pigs. 
Served with pineapple liver sauce and two week aged sili tuba concoction. Please do not miss the sili tuba concoction. It is basically a vinegar based sauce that brings out all the tastes one would love to get from this kind of pig. 
Each bite gave me a rush of emotions. Crunchy skin and a moist, tender and soft meat afterwards. The sauces just made them jell together. If you are going with a few friends, remember to order this one day ahead as they usually just cook a few for the walk-in guests.

To end the heavy meal, one must go for something light like this TROPICAL CHILL. Assorted fruits  with a side of assorted flavored salt just because sweet and salty works together.
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JOHNNY KAHUKU overwhelmed me. They serve delicious Hawaiian themed food with some dishes inspired from different island flavors. Needless to say, I enjoyed the meal as it was something worthy of a HAWAIIAN LUAU. Johnny kahuku delivers its promise of intriguing food and excellent Hawaiian Cuisine. I would definitely be coming back with my family. 



JOHNNY KAHUKU HAWAIIAN SHRIMP HOUSE
Upper Level, Newport Mall
Resorts World Manila
Pasay, Metro Manila


Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience. Was invited to try out the restaurant.
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